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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23394136">And Then There Were Two</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/generic__username/pseuds/generic__username'>generic__username</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>All aboard the crack train, Big sister Petunia Evans, Coming of Age, F/M, First War with Voldemort, Magical Petunia Dursley, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Petunia is like a nuclear bomb, Sister-Sister Relationship, Witch!Petunia, Years 1-7, badass big sister, lets go, oh yeah here we go, what if Petunia Evans was a witch</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 16:20:27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,655</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23394136</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/generic__username/pseuds/generic__username</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Petunia Evans is not a witch.</p><p>She doesn't make flowers open and close nor does she jump off of swings at too high heights like her sister Lily does. She doesn't cause mischief, nor does anything particularly peculiar ever happen around her, according to the neighbors at least.</p><p>What she does do, however, is her own sort of magic.</p><p>Her dresses clean and hang themselves, dirt is always repelled from her white Mary Janes, and her stockings always stay up no matter what she does in them. She changes the color of her sister's dress for her and braids her hair with ribbons that glow in the dark so that Lily won't be scared at night. She is, at heart, a big sister first and foremost.</p><p>And Lord help the gods or monsters who strive to hurt her family.</p><p>~~~<br/>Witch!Petunia AU</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Sirius Black/Petunia Evans</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>57</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>384</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Older, not wiser</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Petunia Evans was a girl with a hard heart.</p><p>This didn’t mean that she was mean or malicious, it just meant that she has a difficult time letting people into her Circle. There’s mommy and daddy, who make up her family, then there’s Bruno, their old basset hound who sits at the side, and then her various friends at school, although they don’t come near where her parents rest in her heart.</p><p>But Lily, oh Lily, is at the very center of her chest. Her perfect little sister, (not yet resentful, might not never happen in this life) lives right under her breastbone. Petunia feels the love she shares for her sister in every breath she takes.</p><p>Petunia is not good at sharing her love. Her love comes in the form of what her sister calls ‘nagging’ in the <em>have you brushed your teeth</em> and the <em>get a coat on its too cold outside</em>’s that Petunia gives. She does not give her love freely and you must give her time if you wish to become part of her Circle but once you are, you never leave.</p><p>Another thing Petunia is: possessive. Should anything occur to you or ill will come on winds, she would drown the world to save a friend. Hell hath no fury like Petunia scorned. Once you are in her heart, few leave.</p><p>When Petunia was six years old and Lily four, their mother lost sight of them while they played at a park. It was by no means due to negligence, their mother loved them far too much, but this was a safe neighborhood and her mother naively assumed that as she turned to talk to a friend that her children would not stray far from her sight.</p><p>She was wrong.</p><p>Petunia was following Lily- who although younger had a surprisingly good bit of strength behind her to pull Petunia along- down to a stream she had glimpsed at the top of the playground. Lily wanted to go hunting for frogs to show mommy (Petunia wasn’t going to touch those things but she’ll go to the river to make Lily happy) and was splashing around in the creek, shoes and socks off and sundress hiked around her knees, when a man came walking out of the foliage downstream. He had on a long coat and was wearing a hat that cast his head in shadows and was walking right up to them.</p><p>Petunia felt the hair on the back of her head raise.</p><p>“Hello girls!” The man called out as if he had known them their entire life. “What are two little princesses doing in the river?” His grin, able to be seen underneath his hat was wide, splitting his face in half.</p><p>“We’re looking for frogs!” Exclaims Lily, holding up her prize which is a fat toad with a flower on his head. Petunia eyes the stranger warily and takes a step between the man and Lily. A growling creature twists in her gut and whispers in her ear <em>He is not here to do good, child.</em></p><p>“Ooh, very nice, are you going to show them to mommy?” He asks, looking around the riverbank as if to check for any adults or passerby. Petunia knows that he won’t find any, the river is over a hill and the bank is steep. Mommy cannot see them here.</p><p>“Oh yeah!” Lily replies, oblivious to Petunia’s sharp look as she steps towards the man in the coat. “She’s in the park right now but we’re gonna show her when we get back! And I’m gonna show Daddy when we go home!”</p><p>Immediately Petunia feels a shift in the air. What was before a predator sizing up it’s prey has gotten the confirmation that there are no protectors around to help them. The stranger’s eyes shift to Petunia and when their eyes meet, she is met with the whispers she usually only feels by herself.</p><p>
  <em>The man comes to the park every day looking for girls under the age of seven. He looks for ones alone, without parents, and when he finds them he takes them away to do terrible things. Petunia is reminded of the conversation she wasn’t supposed to be overhearing when her mother talked on the phone about ‘kidnappings’ and ‘pedophiles’. When mommy saw her standing in the doorway, she sent her outside to play with Lily, saying “Little girls shouldn’t have to worry about these sorts of things.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Little girls shouldn’t. But the things that Petunia saw in his mind are the things her mother was worried about. The things the man was going to do to them.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Redheads were always his favorite.</em>
</p><p>The man breaks eye contact, unaware that he has shown Petunia all she needs to know. She needs to get Lily away now. “Yeah,” she begins, thanking God her voice didn’t crack, “My mom’s waiting for us so we have to go now, c’mon Lily.” Grabbing her sister’s hand, Petunia pushes Lily behind her to start walking. She doesn’t want to put her back to this man.</p><p>“Aww, girls don’t leave so quick,” the man cajoles, taking another few steps toward them. If he comes any closer he’ll be in arms reach. “I’m sure you don’t have to leave just yet, why not stay a while?”</p><p>But Petunia knows that if they stay they won’t leave. Lily, brows creased in confusion, seems tohave caught on to the atmosphere and isn’t so friendly when she says “I don’t know, if Pet says we have to leave I think we do.” Petunia is still walking backwards, eyes trained on the man as she shoves Lily up the bank.</p><p>“No, no,” the man says, shaking his head. “No you won’t!” And he <em>lunges.</em></p><p>“LILY RUN!” Petunia screams as she gives her sister a hard shove to send her running. To her credit, Lily is able to get up the steep bank but a four year old cannot run fast. The man grabs Petunia, hand around her mouth and she knows <em>If he can’t have the redhead, he’ll settle for the blond.</em></p><p>Petunia takes one moment to wrench herself out of his mind, and <em>bites.</em></p><p>Hot blood spurts into her mouth as the man howls and drops her. Landing harshly on the rocky riverbank, Petunia scrambles to run, uncaring of her ripped and dirtied stockings as she finally gets to her feet. She can feel the blood running down her chin as she is yanked back down by a hand around her ankle. A bruise is already going to form, she knows, as the man furiously tries to pull her towards him. Petunia makes eye contact again, and this time <em>squeezes.</em></p><p>She sees into the man’s mind, how he’s done this to other girls (bad<em> bad</em> things, things she’s not supposed to know about) and how he’ll keep doing it until he dies. Petunia’s scared and hurt and in her fury for her sister and terror for herself, she rips and tears until the man is no more.</p><p>Opening her eyes, she sees the man writhing on the ground speaking nonsense. His hand is no longer around her ankle, and her mother screams as she makes her way back to the park. Later, on the news, a story is covered about a pedophile who was arrested but who had seemed to have gone mad. Police could not tell what was wrong with him.</p><p>And Petunia, safe in bed with her sister curled in her embrace, swears that nobody, <em>nobody, </em>would hurt her sister, gods or monsters be damned.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Boy from Spinners End</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Petunia is now eight and Lily is now six and they are both perfectly normal, thank-you-very-much. Not much has changed since The Incident, except where her parents are a bit more protective of their daughters but otherwise it has been forgotten in their sleepy little suburb.</p>
<p>Petunia doesn’t forget.</p>
<p>She remembers every time her sister gasps like how she did on the riverbank. She remembers every time she hears the croaking of frogs in a creek. She remembers every time she looks in the mirror and sees her own bloodstained smile starring back at her.</p>
<p>Petunia has made a habit of not looking in other people’s eyes. It is too easy for her to get lost and see too much of their minds, and for that some people think she’s meek. This could not be less true, for one only needs to look at her protective stance around her sister and the fierce fury in her eyes if threatened.</p>
<p>Petunia is not a silent girl by any standards. She was born on the 30th of July, in a hot dry summer in which everyone was miserable. It was during a drought that she came screaming into the world. Her sister, on the other hand, was born on the 30th of January, during a strangely warm winter day. Her parents described it as ‘almost as warm as a spring day’.</p>
<p>It’s not that Petunia resents her sister, no she could never, its just that Lily shines. She glows everyday and since she’s the youngest she takes up most of the attention and Petunia is usually… left behind. Their parents both work long hours and there’s only so much attention to go around in the evenings and it’s not their fault that Petunia has always been the most independent. She just wishes she didn’t have to be.</p>
<p>Lily isn’t independent, not like Petunia is. She is always getting into trouble and causing mischief and generally cause trouble. She is all fiery passion and fierceness in a way Petunia’s icy demeanor cannot be. Lily’s magic drips, drips, drips and shows itself in the hundreds of spectacular things she does every day. She’s never had a problem with controlling her abilities. Lily can do precisely what she wants when she wants it. It is that ability that Petunia wants with a jealously that surpasses her wish for attention.</p>
<p>She is what Petunia would imagine a true witch to be, not a nasty mean witch but the types of good witches you see in storybooks. Lily is a witch because she always has an aura of wildness and freedom that Petunia, with all her order and lines, cannot achieve.</p>
<p>Petunia Evans is not a witch.</p>
<p>Petunia’s magic is like a faucet that doesn’t have an ‘off’ tap. If Petunia is not careful, furniture she touches mends itself and candies she unwraps never taste the same as advertised. She has taken a habit of wearing gloves on her hands, to stop the outpour of energy. Petunia likes her order and lines, and hates the fact that unlike Lily, all her magic does is create chaos. At least with Lily, the chaos is intentional.</p>
<p>She doesn't make flowers open and close nor does she jump off of swings at too high heights like her sister Lily does. She doesn't cause mischief, nor does anything particularly peculiar ever happen around her, according to the neighbors at least.</p>
<p>What she does do, however, is her own sort of magic.</p>
<p>Her dresses clean and hang themselves, dirt is always repelled from her white Mary Janes, and her stockings always stay up no matter what she does in them. She changes the color of her sister's dress for her and braids her hair with ribbons that glow in the dark so that Lily won't be scared at night. She is, at heart, a big sister first and foremost.</p>
<p>So when Lily decides that they are old enough to go down to the park by Spinner’s End, Petunia brings a bag full of sunscreen, a change of clothes, and a hammer that she took from her dad’s shed.</p>
<p>Let it not be said that Petunia was not ready to bash a man’s skull in.</p>
<p>More cautious than Lily, is Petunia, and as a result does not push her swing higher than it’s supposed to go. She swings at a perfectly respectable height, while her sister goes higher and higher. Petunia knows what she’s going to do before she does it.</p>
<p>“Lily, no! Don’t you dare, don’t do it!” But her warnings are unheeded as Lily soars off of the swing and floats down like a leaf in the breeze. Her giggles are infectious, and as Lily turns to watch Petunia take her leap, she is disappointed when Petunia very respectably stops the swing with her feet and stands up.</p>
<p>“Aww c’mon, Tuney, you should try it! It feels like flying!” Lily gasps with excitement. Her eyes lit up, but all Petunia has on her face is a frown.</p>
<p>“Lily, you know I don’t work like that,” Petunia scolds, holding up a gloved hand. “I’d probably go flying into the sky and never come back down, like a balloon in the wind.” She frowns at the imagery in her head at that statement. It would probably make the evening news: <em>Horsed Faced Girl Found Floating In The Sky, More at Six.</em></p>
<p>“You don’t know that!” Argues Lily, face scrunched up. “Tuney, you need to try more things, you’ll never know if you don’t take the leap!” Petunia rolls her eyes. The last time she tried to use magic intentionally, Bruno started to grow feathers only to be fixed by some weird looking people in bathrobes when they let him out at night. Mommy and daddy didn’t believe her when she told them, and when she looked again the people were gone and Bruno was back to his wrinkly old self.</p>
<p>Petunia picks at the wristband of her glove. Mommy had called it a phase when she began wearing them around the house. Daddy said she was just conscious of germs. Only Lily knew the truth. “Lily, we don’t even know what it is that we do,” She says exasperatedly “There may be consequences that we don’t know of!”</p>
<p>“Its magic.” Says a quiet voice. Instantly, Petunia’s head whips towards the newcomer, taking an instinctive step between Lily. It’s a small boy, but Petunia knows that appearances can be deceiving.</p>
<p>She grips the hammer in the bag tight enough for her knuckles to turn white beneath her gloves.</p>
<p>The boy is younger than her, about Lily’s age, with long greasy black hair sprouting from his head. It’s so long, Petunia almost mistook him as a girl. He has dark eyes and a large nose, with baby fat around his face. He’s staring at Lily as if she held all the secrets of the universe in her hands. Thats to be expected, thinks Petunia, when your sister is a gravitational pull all in herself.</p>
<p>“What?” Asks Lily, voice hushed as if in reverence. “Really- its- Oh Tuney I knew it! I knew we were special!.”</p>
<p>“You’re special,” says the boy haughtily, looking down his nose at Petunia. “I don’t know about her, I haven’t seen her do any magic so she might be a Muggle.”</p>
<p>Hand still on the hammer, Petunia weighs her options of either braining him on the head and leaving with Lily or listening to what a Muggle is. Sounds like an insult, and she is Petunia Mary Evans and she will take no shit from no one (pardon her language).</p>
<p>“No, no! Petunia can do magic, she’s even better than me, watch!” Lily inputs, picking up a flower from the ground and causing it to bloom over and over like a demented oyster. She then hands the flower to Petunia who looks at her with a dry expression on her face, not taking off her glove.</p>
<p>“I don’t know what a muggle is, but I will not preform parlor tricks just to show a toddler I can do magic.” Petunia remarks icily. The boy sputters at the ‘toddler’ comment, but Lily just looks up at her with pleading eyes. <em>Dammit</em>, Petunia thinks, <em>She knows I can’t say no to her.</em></p>
<p>With a long suffering sigh, Petunia takes off one of her dark grey gloves (only one, we’re not in a madhouse here) and places her bare hand on the flower in her other palm. She closes her eyes, and <em>concentrates</em>.</p>
<p>As if watching a video sped up, vines and roots start to sprout from the one flower. More flowers of the same color begin to form on the vines but gradually begin to morph and become more beautiful and more different from their predecessor. When finally Petunia has a formidable bouquet of flowers, she takes a ribbon from her hair, ties them up in a knot, and gives the flowers to Lily who laughs and hugs the gift to her chest.</p>
<p>The boy is now looking at her in a similar manner to how he looked at Lily a few moments ago. Somewhere, deep in Petunia’s chest a little bit of resentment she has for her sister is loosened. Surely if this boy looks at her in this way, surely others will too?</p>
<p>“My names Snape, Severus Snape,” he says, holding out his hand. He looks much more happy to interact with her now that he knows she can do magic too.</p>
<p>“My name is Petunia,” she says, pulling her glove on before taking his hand and shaking it. “And this is Lily, my younger sister.”</p>
<p>“Hi!” Lily interjects, grabbing Snapes hand and shaking it violently. Petunia laughs at the face he makes, torn between happiness and discomfort.</p>
<p>The rest of the day the girls are introduced to a world of miracles and fantasy, of schools and witches and wizards. They are introduced to a world with magic and might. And in three short years, Petunia will get he letter, her invitation to a world all her own.</p>
<p>At least until Lilly comes, too.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I want petunia to have her own character in this fic, because I feel like in a lot of the books she just fills a stereotype of 'mean aunt' </p>
<p>also I gave her occulmency. comment if u guessed what it was</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. A Letter and a Headmaster</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Now that Petunia is ten (soon to be eleven) and Lily is eight (and a half!), their magic has only grown. Lily still turns stones into statues, and chases little blue fairies around the yard (mommy and daddy can’t see them but Petunia always keeps an eye on her. The teeth on those things look sharp). Petunia practices her magic cautiously and keeps her gloves on whenever possible.</p>
<p>“You’ll probably be able to control it better when you get a wand.” Remarks Severus one afternoon in the back of the Evan’s household. Petunia wrinkles her brow and turns towards him in confusion. He has a tendency to act like he know anything and everything, but he seems alright to Petunia.</p>
<p>“What do you mean? Wouldn’t a wand just make it harder?” After all, Petunia has seen movies and cartoons of wizards, and they always seem to have light shooting out the end of their sticks or staffs. It doesn’t seem like control, more like chaos condensed into one spell.</p>
<p>Petunia <em>hates</em> chaos. She likes the order of things, likes to line up her dolls in a row, put her shoes side by side, and make sure her bed is neat and made in the mornings.</p>
<p>“Not really, I mean a wand is more like a focus of your magic. It helps you balance everything out,” he explains, gesturing to her gloves. “You probably unconsciously put a charm on the gloves you wear, since regular gloves would just be magically changed.”</p>
<p>“You think so?” She asks, glancing down at her wrapped fingers. Would a wand help her control these outbursts? Lately it seems like more and more incidents are occurring. The water in her bath turned golden and her bedsheets now have birds printed on them that fly and flutter and only settle when she sleeps.</p>
<p>Petunia doesn’t want this. She wanted a normal life, with a good normal husband when she grew up and only one kid, hopefully a boy. Now she’s turning rocks into frogs and weeds into flowers for her sister. She sighs, folding her hands and continuing to make her flower crown. Lily is avidly making hers with as many flowers as she can find, disjointed and chaotic. Petunia’s crown is a pattern, white then yellow then white. Severus’ is made of weeds. He kept giving his flowers to Lily.</p>
<p>“Don’t worry, you won’t be abysmal at controlling magic when you get to Hogwarts.” Says Severus. Petunia smiles, but ducks her head when he looks over. From him, its a complement and an assurance that she will become better.</p>
<p>Hogwarts. Apart from the terrible name, it is a magical school Sev says that she and Lily will go to. It’s in Scotland and there is a village nearby, although she cannot go until third year. Petunia makes a promise to herself to bring Lily sweets for her first year, when Petunia will be in her third year. It sound amazing.</p>
<p>Petunia is dreading it.</p>
<p>Oh, what if they don’t like her? Or, what if they do like her, but then Lily comes two years later and takes over again? What if she’s known as Petunia Evans, but then Lily comes and she’s known as Lily Evans’ sister? Will she fade into the background once again?</p>
<p>Petunia is worried sick. The wizarding world seems seeped in chaos, and order has no place in there. And the ministry is no better! From what Severus has told her, the ministry is hectic and disjointed, and some wizards are not even counted as human. Werewolves and muggles are looked down on as lowest of the low and purebloods run society like they own it! Unacceptable!</p>
<p>When Petunia is ten and her sister is eight, she makes a promise to herself to never take that sort of treatment. She is too proud and too protective of her sister to do anything less.</p>
<p>(That promise would take her far. Spite is a powerful motivator and it can take you up and over mountains.)</p>
<p>~~~~</p>
<p>On the day that Petunia turns eleven (eleven is a nice number, even on both sides, she thinks), there is cake on the table and balloons in her room. She smiles when she blows out the candles and doesn’t listen to the voice in her head that whispers <em>Lily got a two tiered cake when you got one</em> or <em>how come mommy didn’t make me breakfast in bed like Lily did?</em></p>
<p>It is a nice, normal breakfast where she gets nice, normal presents. In another world, this is all she would have gotten, and all she would get for a lifetime. She would not wear her gloves, nor would she look away when people looked her in the eye. She would never make flowers bloom in her palm, nor would she cause madness if she pushed too hard in a person’s mind. Fortunately, this is not that lifetime, and her happy birthday is interrupted by a knock at the door.</p>
<p>Her mother is busy in the kitchen and her father is chasing Lily and Bruno around the table, so she has to take the responsibility. <em>They never made Lily answer the door when it was </em>her <em>birthday, </em>she thinks with little bitterness. This is just how things are now, no use in crying over spoilt milk. Or is it spilt milk?</p>
<p>So engrossed is she about spilt and spoilt milk, she does not notice the odd dress of the stranger who has come to her doorstep. She is, however, distracted by his long beard and strange cap on his head. He has a pair of spectacles on and a twinkle in his eye that she manages to observe before she is once again pulled into his head.</p>
<p>
  <em>This time she doesn’t see memories. Instead, she is now on a train platform. It looks like the Kings Cross station, where mommy and daddy took her and Lily to the countryside one summer. Except, instead of the platform number 9 or 10, peculiarly there is a sign that says platform 9 and 3/4’s. Strange.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Looking down, she still has on her paisley purple dress her mother bought for her birthday. She has on her stockings, and her hair is done in her usual strait and neat braid. Looking around gives her only an eyeful of fog. And the strange man who was at her door is there too.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Peculiar,” he states, peering down at her through half-moon glasses. “I’ve never seen one so powerful in Occulmency before, and certainly not a child.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“What?” Is Petunia’s dignified response. “Wait, you can see into other people’s minds too? Can all wizards do it? Wait, why are you here? What do you want? Why are you wearing a bathrobe?Wait, are you even a wizard?” Questions come tumbling out of her mouth before she can stop them and only causes the man to shake his head and chuckle.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“You are Miss Petunia Evans, correct?” At Petunia’s hasty nod, he holds out his hand for a shake, “Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry at your service.” Petunia thinks that that’s the silliest name she’s ever heard, but is polite enough not to say it. Taking his hand, she is mildly surprised that it is solid. With all the fog around her, she half expected her hand to go strait through.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“What I am, Miss Evans, is a Wizard. I am proficient in Occlumency, the talent which you have used to see into other people’s minds and no, not every witch or wizard can do it. In fact, Occlumency is one of the hardest abilities to master, and most do not attempt it. You seem to be naturally gifted. And, no this is not a bathrobe,” he finishes, a bit of humor in his glance, “These are wizard robes, though I would understand why you would think that way.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>A natural? Her, Petunia Evans, sister to Lily Evans, a natural? Nothing had ever come naturally in her life. It was always Lily who was a natural at things, first to ride a bike and first to play the piano. Petunia would have to work for hours just to get a melody right, but Lily could sit and play a symphony in minutes.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I can explain more, once we’re inside, Miss Evans. But I’m afraid you are going to have to wake up.”</em>
</p>
<p>Blinking the spots out of her eyes, the connection was broken. As if no time had passed, once again Petunia was staring at the strange man- Dumbeldore - with her hand on the doorknob.</p>
<p>“Mom, I think you should come here.” She called faintly.</p>
<p>~~~~</p>
<p>The meeting went mostly uneventfully. Well, as uneventful as a meeting with a headmaster coming to tell you that you are a witch can go. Her parents were incredulous, Lily was positively beaming with excitement, and Petunia…</p>
<p>Petunia didn’t know where she stood.</p>
<p>On the one hand, Headmaster Dumbledore talked about the classes she would take and the school and Petunia, while not the best student, always managed to get high grades in class. School was easy, ordered, and structured. School was good. On the other hand, Petunia would be introduced to a whole new <em>school </em>of people (friends, the headmaster called them) and she wouldn’t know a soul there. On the other, other hand (she was running out of hands here) Dumbledore told her that she was a natural at something that most wizards or witches can’t do. Something that Lily couldn’t do!</p>
<p>So Petunia, in all her new eleven year old wisdom, didn’t know if it was a good thing or a bad thing.</p>
<p>“One more thing before I go, Miss Evans.” Begins Dumbledore, handing her a letter. “Since your Occulmency is very strong for a girl your age, I would like to offer my services as a mentor. I am an Occulmens myself, and I can teach you to shield your mind, so that you do not get lost in others’.”</p>
<p>“You can do that?” Asked Petunia wondrously. “Really?”</p>
<p>“Of course, my dear!” He replied, a twinkle in his eye. “Let’s say once a week when term begins, and I have no doubt you will pick it up very rapidly.”</p>
<p>Once Headmaster Dumbledore had left, and her parents had calmed down and sent them to bed, Petunia laid in her bed, letter pressed close to her chest. This was it. This was real. She opened the letter again, unable to read in the dark and slowly pulled her right glove off. Pressing her bare fingertips to the paper, she scrunched her brow and concentrated on what she wanted it to do.</p>
<p>Slowly, slowly the letters began to glow.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>Miss Petunia Mary Evans</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The Bedroom on the Left</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>RIverbed Row</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Cokeworth, England</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>That was her. This was her school.</p>
<p>Petunia pressed her letter against her chest underneath her covers, and dreamt of magic.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Up next: finally to Hogwarts! maybe ;)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Diagon Ally</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey guys!  </p><p>I know its been a really long two months, so here's a super long chapter just for you! let me know what you guys think :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>Diagon ally was like nothing Petunia had ever seen before. Aside from being an abysmal play on words of <em>diagonally,</em> all the shops seemed mismatched on the one winding street. There was an ice cream parlor next to a bookstore, and a shop that sold animals next to one that sold brooms. That shop had a lot of kids surrounding the display case which showed a broom spinning slowly in circles. It was advertised as the Nimbus 1700. Didn’t witches fly on brooms? Could she?</p><p> </p><p>Her quiet contemplation was interrupted by her sister running too and fro on the street. Lily could not seem to contain herself, rushing to look into the display windows and asking questions about the stuff inside. Severus, who had come with them, ran behind her, answering the questions as they went. Petunia walked very respectfully with her mother and father at a slow normal face. But then mommy went off to follow Lily, and she was left with daddy.</p><p> </p><p>“What do you say Pet,” he grins, pointing at a pet store that seemed to house mostly owls. “It says here you can get an owl, cat, or toad. Would you like to get one?” Petunia wrinkled her nose. She definitely didn’t want a toad, those were too slimy. And owls would molt and feathers would get everywhere, and we <em>cannot</em> have that. But, maybe a cat?</p><p> </p><p>Petunia remembers they used to have a neighbor who had no less than twelve cats. The largest one was her favorite, a tortoiseshell tabby called Agatha, who didn’t allow anyone but Petunia to pick her up. Agatha’s crackling purr was one of Petunia’s favorite sounds.</p><p> </p><p>“I guess a cat would be nice,” she replied, trying and failing to contain her excitement.</p><p> </p><p>A bell rung merrily as they made their way into the shop. It was extremely loud and boisterous inside, as owls hooted, cats yowled, and toads croaked. There were even rats in a large cage in the corner, which Petunia wouldn’t go near.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh hello! Just starting at Hogwarts are we?” Asked the shopkeeper as they made their way into the store. The clerk was behind the counter, measuring out food in bowls.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, this is my eldest Petunia,” says her father, putting a hand on her shoulder. “We are looking for any type of cat to take to school with her. Do you know if there are any restrictions about types of cats they can take?”</p><p> </p><p>While the clerk began to answer his questions, Petunia took a look around. There was a pen on the side of the shop, which housed many kittens of all different sizes and colors. When asked, the clerk allowed her to go and take a look.</p><p> </p><p>There was a brown one, one with spots, two with stripes, another brown one with white on his paws that looked like mittens. There were a pair of orange ones (Twins, the clerk supplied) and in the far left corner was a yellow one, standing proud. She was sitting with her feet tucked neatly underneath her body, her tail curled protectively around her. While the other kittens were clamoring for attention, she was sitting by herself and pointedly not looking at Petunia.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, you might not want that one,” says the clerk who had seen what she was lookin at. “She’s got kneezle parentage in her and she is gonna be huge when she grows up. Besides, they’re not the most friendly cat.”</p><p> </p><p>Petunia looked at the kitten. The kitten looked back. Petunia held out her hand, as if to politely take her paw. The kitten looked at her palm, and although she didn’t allow Petunia to pick her up, she did not scratch her when she stroked her head.</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll take her.”</p><p> </p><p>~~~~</p><p> </p><p>Walking down the street to find mommy and Lily with her cat in her arms (In a carrier, they weren’t best friends yet), Petunia could admit that Diagon Ally was beginning to grow on her at least a little. Gringotts, the Wizarding bank, was nice and clean and the goblins were terribly nice (The goblins loved the polite little girl who asked them about loans and interest rates. Wizards usually didn’t understand these things). And the bookshop they went to was very interesting, she got all of her books firsthand with the promise to treat them very carefully so she could give them to Lily when her time came. And then finally, once they had gotten everything else, it was time for Petunia to get her wand.</p><p> </p><p>They came to a dingy looking shop at the end of the street. Entering the cloudy doorway, bell ringing from their entrance, brought them into a small and cluttered room. It was stocked with thousands and thousands of boxes, presumably containing wands, and gas lit lanterns illuminate the small space. With a wrinkle of her nose, Petunia looks at the mismatch and general chaos of the quaint little shop.</p><p> </p><p>She decides she does not like it.</p><p> </p><p>“Welcome, welcome,” grates out a voice from the back of the shop. An old wizened shopkeeper, Ollivander if the name above the shop was correct, peers out from the rows and rows of wands. “Well, step up then, let me measure you.”</p><p> </p><p>Taken back a bit by the abrupt orders (really would it kill him to have some manners?), Petunia steps up onto the slightly raised platform in front of her. A tape measure begins to unravel on its own, measuring the circumference of her wrist and the length of her arm, and weirdly enough her nostrils. <em>No manners whatsoever</em> thinks Petunia, annoyed.</p><p> </p><p>Finally the strange old man named Ollivander brings out boxes and set them on the counter. He pulls out a pale wand and hands it to her handle first. Taking off her right glove, she wraps her fingers around the handle at his insistence. Petunia gives him a look usually reserved for Snape whenever he begins to use wizard terms without telling her what it means. What was she supposed to do with this?</p><p> </p><p>“Dragon heartstring and chestnut wood?” He says to himself, not even acknowledging her scathing look of disproval. “Give it a swish then!”</p><p> </p><p>Still looking at Ollivander oddly, she moves the wand in a halfhearted wave. Almost immediately after she stilled her hand, he grabbed it out of her hand with a “Oh no, not at all!”</p><p> </p><p>“Unicorn hair and cherry wood, then?” Petunia takes the wand thrust in her face with a frown. Once again, she ‘gives it a swish’ and immediately the wand is grabbed again with an exclamation of “No!”</p><p> </p><p>Her father looks worriedly over at her as the pile of rejected wands that sits on a spindly chair grows steadily. With every rejected wand, however, Ollivander’s excitement only grows. She can hardly see the chair now, just a pile of wand boxes in a stack.</p><p> </p><p><em>I bet Lily wouldn’t be having this much trouble, </em>she thinks swishing for the hundredth time yet another wand- hippogriff feather and walnut- and again, nothing seems to work. Then there is a muffled explosion outside the shop, and the trio in the shop stays silent while witches and wizards run past the windows. Ollivander carefully takes the wand from her slack grip and places it gently in the box. Then, the entire circus begins again.</p><p> </p><p>“You may be my most difficult customer yet!” The shopkeeper says excitedly. “This is your three hundreth sixty seventh wand, breaking the previous record of three hundred sixty six!”</p><p> </p><p><em>Wonderful</em>.</p><p> </p><p>Seeing her upset expression, Ollivander kneels down in front of her. “This isn’t a bad thing, dear. It just means you have a specific wand in mind. We just have to find it.”</p><p> </p><p>After going to the back once again, instead of bringing multiple boxes like before, he only brings out one box. It looks old and worn, almost as old as the maker holding it. When Ollivander places the box in front of Petunia, he does it gently acting more cautious than he had with the other. Almost lovingly, he takes the single ugliest wand Petunia has ever had the misfortune of seeing and holds its handle out to her.</p><p> </p><p>The wand is misshapen, blocky and wide at the base and skinny at the middle and nicked at various spots at the tip. The wand is long and a bit too thin, about twelve inches and slightly curved at the end. The carving is crude, as if the maker had not perfected their trade yet. The wood isn’t fully sanded either, the base prickly against the palm of her hand as she takes the handle. Almost immediately, golden flowers erupt from the end of it, spectral blossoms filling the shop around her. Warmth flowed through her hand as the ugly wand chose her.</p><p> </p><p>Petunia <em>hated </em>it.</p><p> </p><p>“That was one of the first wands I ever made,” remarks Ollivander, oblivious to the anger and disappointment radiating from the girl in front of him as she looks at the stick in her hand. “I wasn’t a master wandmaker yet, you see, so it's not the finest of my craft.”</p><p> </p><p>Blinking away hot tears, Petunia grips her shoddy wand in a white knuckled hand. The blooming flowers begin to wilt around the store and turn to ash as her mood sours immensely.</p><p> </p><p><em>I can’t even get a good wand, what kind of witch will I be?</em> Thinks Petunia, already anticipating the sneers and cackles of others with finely made wands. Petunia might be young, but she already knows that children can be cruel and it was bad enough that she was new to this world. Her ugly wand may as well create a neon sign over her head saying NOT A REAL WITCH!!! CAUTION!!!</p><p> </p><p>As if finally sensing her distress, Ollivander kneels down so that he is eye level with Petunia. Taking her wand hand in his own, he turns over the wand to show her a symbol where her thumb should be. Its is a triangle with a circle in the middle split by a line running perpendicular to the bottom of the triangle. “Do you know what this means?” He asks gently.</p><p> </p><p>At the shake of her head, his eyes light up. “It is the sign of the deathly hallows. When I was a mere apprentice, I read the tale of Beetle the Bard and decided that I would be the one to create an elder wand. I was arrogant at the time and horribly certain that I would succeed where no wandmaker had before.” A wry smile crosses his face as he remembers his foolhardy youth.</p><p> </p><p>Pointing to the symbol, he continues. “I believed that if I made an elder wand, then I was certain to become famous throughout the Wizarding world. Imagine my surprise when I finally finished the wand and no one wanted to buy it!” At Petunia’s sniffling giggle, he gives her a self-deprecating look. “The wand was so unstable with the dragon heartstring and elder wood, no young witch or wizard had enough power to keep it in control. My carving skills have improved over the years but I kept it as a reminder that I was not a better wandmaker than death.”</p><p> </p><p>Continuing on, he wipes her tears with a handkerchief taken from his pocket. “This wand is temperamental, little one, but I have no doubt that a brilliant little witch like yourself can tame it. The wand chooses the witch, after all.”</p><p> </p><p>At his kind words, the flowers begin to bloom again around the shop. <em>Maybe this wand wouldn’t be so bad,</em> thinks Petunia holding the wand in a looser grip.</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you, sir.” She says quietly, running her fingers over the smooth part of the wood. At Ollivander’s brilliant smile, she gives him a small grin in return. After paying for her wand and exiting the store, she sends the wandmaker a tiny wave that he returns in kind.</p><p> </p><p>“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Asks her father as he takes her gloveless hand. After one tense moment with nothing bad happening, Petunia firmly grasps his hand. It seems that Severus was correct, and after obtaining her wand the residual magic was in her control.</p><p> </p><p>“No, not so bad at all.”</p><p> </p><p>~~~</p><p> </p><p>After catching up with her mother, sister, and Severus, the group made their way down the street to exit Diagon Ally (Petunia scoffs internally at the name again). Before leaving, however, Lily spots an ice cream shop called Flourish and Botts, and excitedly pulls on her mothers sleeve to ask to go in. Petunia dislikes most ice cream flavors but tolerates vanilla ice cream as it is not too sweet. When they make their way into the shop, however, the shop employee bashfully asks Petunia to wait outside as she gestures to the cat carrier in her arms.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry, but we don’t allow pets in this establishment.” To her credit, she looks genuinely apologetic, so Petunia is not as annoyed as she expected to be. Turning to her father, she shrugs her shoulders.</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll just wait out here, Dad, I don’t mind. Would it be okay if I go down the street to look at the broomsticks?”</p><p> </p><p>Her dad looks uncertain, unwilling to let his daughter go off on her own, but the look of hope on her face is enough to dissuade him. “Don’t go too far, we’ll be out in a jiffy,” He says, herding Lilly and Severus into the shop.</p><p> </p><p>Turning back to the street with her Kneezle (She needs to think of a better name soon) under her arm, she makes her way down the bustling street. Families of all sizes walk up and down, getting their shopping done. To her dismay, however, the shop that displayed the magnificent broom in its golden glow is too crowed, even the shop window is filled with kids in front of it. It seems she wasn’t the only one wanting to get a look at the brooms inside while their parents shop. Letting out a huff of annoyance, she turns to go back to wait outside the ice cream shop as something catches her eye.</p><p> </p><p>Hidden between two shops as if to dissuade people from going there is an alleyway. The sign above the arch that separates the ally from the street reads ‘Knocturn Ally’. Curious and deciding to explore, Petunia cautiously pushes open the creaking iron gate.</p><p> </p><p>This place is much darker and damp than the golden light of Diagon Ally. The faint light is given by pale ironwork lanterns and wet stone is underneath her Mary Janes. Petunia makes her way slowly through this strange place with even stranger people. She is starkly out of place with her pale purple dress and white stockings. Feeling sick to her stomach and wanting to turn back, Petunia keeps walking afraid that if she stopped, someone would approach her.</p><p> </p><p>The hag on the corner eyes her with interest as the hairs on the back of her neck prickle. Being careful not to meet her eyes, Petunia swiftly walks past her. However, before she is able to walk past the woman, sharp nails dug into the back of her neck prompting a shriek of surprise.</p><p> </p><p>“Hello, pretty one, what are you doing all by your lonesome?” The old witch asked, bringing Petunia close to her side. With a yell and a twist, Petunia attempted to break the woman’s grip but the old hag was surprisingly strong for her age and held on tight to the eleven year old in her grasp. With now other choice, Petunia met the eyes of the woman and <em>pushed.</em></p><p> </p><p>This time, it was the woman who shrieked and fell back away from Petunia as the young girl took off running. Yelling erupted behind her as her cat yowled in her cage. Desperate to find a hiding place, Petunia yanks open the door of the nearest shop, ignoring the cheerful little <em>ding </em>of the bell above her and slides down to sit on the floor to catch her breath.</p><p> </p><p>So focused is she on calming her heart, that she does not notice when the lone shopkeeper comes to see who had entered his store. It's no surprise that when Petunia does notice the man standing above her, she screams again and meets his eye to try and scare him away. Immediately, she feels the familiar pulling sensation and is pulled into his mind.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>She is in the train station once again. Kings cross is familiar to her, since the last time she was with Dumbledore in her mind. Turning to the man she accidentally dragged in here, she covers her mouth with her hands.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“I am so sorry!” She blurts out to the annoyed looking shopkeeper. He is a handsome man, seemingly in his twenties with brown hair and black eyes. “I didn’t mean to do that, there was just a woman chasing me and-“</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Its not every day that someone gets past my defenses.” Drawls the man, looking around the foggy station. “So how did you do it?”</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Professor Dumbledore told me that I am a natural Legilimens. But I don’t think so,” she says, looking down at her palms. “I’m not very good at it because I usually end up here.”</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>While wringing her hands, Petunia jolts. “Oh I’m sorry, I didn’t introduce myself. My name is Petunia. Petunia Evans.” She says, sticking out her hand to shake his. The man smiles, a wry thing more like a smirk. Taking her hand as the station begins to dissolve around them.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Tom. Tom Riddle.”</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Feeling the push back into her body, she looks up at the shopkeeper- No, Mr. Riddle- as he holds out a hand to pull her to her feet. Dusting off dirt from her dress and making sure her cat is unharmed, she follows Mr. Riddle to the back of the shop. There is another boy there, younger than Riddle, but older than Petunia. His hair is a pale blond color, similar to Petunia’s and almost as long. At her stare he raises a blond eyebrow.</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry, you just have pretty hair.” Petunia states. At this, both of his eyebrows raise as he turns his head to Riddle who had moved behind the counter and was looking through the drawers.</p><p> </p><p>“And who might you be?” He asks in a sneering tone, but is cut off by a (<em>Not a glare, </em>Petunia thinks<em> but a warning)</em> look from Mr. Riddle. His mouth shuts with a snap, as he takes her proffered hand in a shake. “Lucius Malfoy.” He says in a somewhat subdued tone.</p><p> </p><p>“Petunia Evans,” she responds shaking his hand, though not meeting his eyes like Mr. Riddle. “Nice to meet you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Likewise,” he drawls in a tone that suggests it was <em>not </em>very nice to meet her. Turning back to Mr. Riddle behind the counter, Petunia shifts the cat carrier in her arms.</p><p> </p><p>“What kind of shop do you have Mr. Riddle?” She asks, looking around the dark front. The dimly lit area had all sorts of strange items and goods. There were shelves lining the walls seemingly packed with potion ingredients and tables with books on them. One thing that really caught her eye was <em>Legilimens, A Guide to Mystic and Mind. </em>The cover was a deep blue with golden lettering. Petunia thought that it was the most beautiful book in the world.</p><p> </p><p>Wasn’t that what Dumbledore had told her what she was? A Legilimens?</p><p> </p><p>“Borgin and Burks is a general store for all magical goods, Miss Evans.” Gesturing around the store, but eyes trained firmly on her, Riddle examines the peculiar little girl. “See anything you like?”</p><p> </p><p>Looking back at the Legilimens book, Petunia points at the cover and asks “A Legilimens is a person who can… do the things I do right?” With a side eye at Lucius, she looks up at Mr. Riddle who gives her a contemplative look.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, Legilimens is a word for people like us.” Looking between the book and the girl in front of him, Riddle leans on his elbows on the counter and puts his chin in his hand. “How would you like that book to read? I’m sure that it will be more helpful than whatever Hogwarts teaches.”</p><p> </p><p>“Sir, do you really think you should give a book like that to a-” Whatever he was going to say was cut off by Mr. Riddles sharp smile. Instantly, the temperature in the room dropped like a predator was in the vicinity and Lucius went still. What seemed to be like a silent conversation passed between the two, one that Petunia was not privy too. How rude!</p><p> </p><p>Finally, the moment passed and Lucius seemed to have backed down from whatever challenge had been offered. After a few more moments of tense silence, Mr. Riddle turned back to Petunia.</p><p> </p><p>“Of course, anything for a fellow Legilimens,” Riddle replies with a smile. “Simply write me a letter on what you think of the book and if you have any questions, and it is yours.” Eyes lighting up, Petunia takes the book from the table, hugging it against her chest with the cat carrier under her arm.</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you very much for letting me hide in here and for the book, Mr. Riddle, but I really have to go back to my parents. They’re in Flourish and Botts in Diagon ally.” Riddle gives her one more long glance with an expression that Petunia couldn’t decipher if she tried.</p><p> </p><p>“Lucius, show our new friend out of Knocturn Ally, won’t you?” At this request, the pale haired boy nods and walks out of the store, only checking once to see if Petunia is following. Waving goodbye to Mr. Riddle, Petunia followed Lucius to the mouth of Knocturn Ally. Before stepping onto the bright and bustling rows of Dragon Ally, Petunia turned to the boy beside her.</p><p> </p><p>“Will I see you at Hogwarts?” She asks, hopefully making a new friend. It would be good to have a friend even before entering Hogwarts, so that there was less of a chance of Lily taking them when she comes as well.</p><p> </p><p>A strange expression glances the face of the boy in front of her. He seemed to not know whether to be flattered or annoyed that she was seeking to him. Pursing his brows and turningback into the darkened street, a soft “Perhaps,” ends their conversation.</p><p> </p><p>Making her way back to Flourish and Botts up the crowed street, she is unsurprised to see that her family had not even noticed that she was gone. Apparently they were still in the ice cream shop because Lily could not make up her mind.</p><p> </p><p>Later, after she had eaten her cup of ice cream (which was half melted by the time they came out) Petunia resolved to keep her excursion to Knocturn Ally a secret. Her mother would only freak out or perhaps forbid her from coming to Diagon Ally next time. Petting her new Kneezle next to her, with her trunk of magical school items in the trunk of their car, Petunia opens the book that was given to her by Mr. Riddle.</p><p> </p><p>A small smile crosses her face. <em>Perhaps,</em> she thinks, looking at her sleeping sister beside her in the car.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Perhaps this world will be better than my old one.</em>
</p>
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